1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet head that prints on a sheet by discharging ink onto the sheet. The ink jet head of the present invention is usually incorporated into an ink jet printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
One type of ink jet heads includes a main body and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board.
The main body is equipped with a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of actuators, and a plurality of electrodes. Each nozzle is connected to a uniquely corresponding pressure chamber. Each pressure chamber is coupled with a uniquely corresponding actuator. Each actuator is connected to a uniquely corresponding electrode. When a driving voltage is applied to a selected electrode, ink within the pressure chamber coupled with the actuator connected to the selected electrode is pressed and ink is discharged from the nozzle connected to the pressure chamber. The number of the plurality of nozzles, the number of the plurality of pressure chambers, the number of the plurality of actuators, and the number of the plurality of electrodes are equal. The plurality of electrodes is distributed on a surface of the main body.
A plurality of wirings is formed on the FPC. The number of the plurality of wirings is equal to the number of the plurality of electrodes, and an output contact is formed on an end of each wiring. A positioning pattern of the plurality of electrodes and a positioning pattern of the plurality of output contacts are identical. One end of the FPC is fixed to the surface of the main body. Each electrode is connected to a uniquely corresponding output contact when one end of the FPC is fixed to the surface of the main body. This type of ink jet head is taught in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-36568.